Gewher 1888

Found this in my mothers house a few months ago just trying to ask peoples opinions on the rifle. I know it was my dads and im sure he told me it was my grandfathers. I will post markings and numbers when i get home. Here are some of the pictures i took yesterday.

Very interesting rifles. There ARE ammo issues in shooting these rifles.

The maximum operating pressure for the Gewehr 88 Commission rifle is less than that of any 8 mm Mauser rifle, as the makers of the Gewehr 88 did not fully understand the greater energy of smokeless powder compared to black powder. Shooters planning to use modern 8 mm ammunition in a Gewehr 88 should slug their bore and chamber as there are four different possible bore/groove and chamber dimensioning combinations found on the Gewehr 88 rifle. High performance and hence high pressure or military ammunition designated for machine gun use should never be fired in a Gewehr 88 Commission rifle.

Your rifle does use an en bloc clip to load into the magazine- here is what the clip and ammo look like for the Commission rifle (the M1888)

Crown is the proof mark- in Europe, there were government proof houses. After being built, ALL guns went to the proof house for testing with high powered loads. If gun fired without damage, it have been "proven", and got the stamp.

Danzig (now called Gdansk) is the city where rifle was made. It has changed nationalities TONS of times (was even it's own fee state for a while) but 1871–1920 was part of Germany.

1891 is the year made. Being made prior to 1899, under Federal law, it is an antique, and is not subject to the 1968 Gun Control Act.

At the time of adoption, the M/88 "Patrone 7.9 mm" was loaded with a 14.6 g (226 gr) round nose bullet that measured 8.08 mm (.318 in) in diameter. In 1894/95 the German Army changed the barrel specifications from 7.9/8.1 mm to 7.9/8.2 mm hoping to improve the accuracy and Gewehr 88 rifles made from that date on had different bores. The 8.08 mm (.318 in) bullet diameter however remained unchanged. After 1895 most, but not all, Gewehr 1888 rifles were regrooved. In 1905 the Germany Army adapted a new service cartridge that fired lighter bullets measuring 8.20 mm (.323 in) in diameter. From then many Gewehr 88 rifles where rechambered to fire the new 1905 pattern 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge becoming Gewehr 88/05 rifles.[5] This rechambering required more work as the 7.92x57mm Mauser chambering requires a wider chamber throat to take the thicker brass of the new 1905 pattern cartridge. Gewehr88/05 adapted rifles have the receiver marked with a large "S" rollmark and were also converted to use the Gewehr 98 type stripper clip by adding stripper clip guides to the top rear of the receiver and altering the magazine.